Improvement in combination-locks



.Massachnsetts, have invented a new and use ter described. The heads of the tonguebolts UNITED; STATES MOSES ADAMS, oE GHILMARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CCMBINATIV'O'NFLOCKS.A a

Specification forming part oiLLetters Patent No. 96,376', dated November 2, i869.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOSES ADAMS, of Chilmark, in the county of Dukes and State ofl ful Improvement in Combination-Locks; and I do declare that the following is a full-,and exact description of 'the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the'let ters of reference .marked thereon', making a part of this specification, in which- V Figure l is a view'ot the face-plate oi' the lock, showing the heads of. the tongue-bolts and indicators, with the 'combination gu'res and indices marked thereon. Fig-2 is a View ofthe under surface of the face-plate.. Fig-3 is a top view of thev upper Aset of ratchetwheels with their spring catches or pawls attached. Fig. 4 is a View of-the upper surface of the bottom plate, vwith the mortise-block and lock-bolt attached. Fig. 5 isa view of the lock with theface-plate off. Fig. 6-is a bottom View of the movable body lor mechan' ism ot' the lock, showing also thelower vset of ratchet-wheels and the springcatches or de-v tents by which they are kept in place. vFig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the lock, showing the inside mechanism in position to per-` form the function of locking. lFig-8 is a view of the key by whichl the lock is locked or uu-4 locked.' y v The same letters indicate identicalparts in` theV different Iigures. i

To enable others skilled inthe art to make and use my invention, I proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Q is the face-plate, upon which are placed theindicators, numbered' 1,* 2, 3, 4, and 5, with their combination-hgures', -numbered from 1 to 12, on each indicatonand corresponding with the number of teeth or ratchet-- holes in both sets of ratchet-wheels, hereinaf- GG, hereinafter described, arecontined and re-` volve in the face-plateQ. On the headot each tongue-bolt is an index, I, which, in preparingthe lock for lockingmay be made to point to any one'of the conibinationgures of th'ein'-, dicator surrounding the tongue-bolt onwhich the index is placed, according to the pleasure of the operator. M is the bottom plate, upon Which the mortise-block B is firmly fastened ratchet-wheels T T.

by screws or rivets b b. The face-plateQ, the bottom plate M, and-'theside-plates It R. constitute the shell of thelock, in lwhich the operating .mechanism is contained. Kis the upi* per and N isthe lower plate, both circular in form, which, with their'supports U U, consti i tute the movable-frame in which the operating mechanism of the lock is confined.V T is the upper set and T the lower set ot' ratchet-wheels,

" tongue-bolts Gr G, kThe ton gue-bolts G Ghave flanges g,'"which-play intothe slots gv in the G' is the head of one of tlie tongue-bolts,` showing the manner in which it is confined Vin the face-plate Q. D D; are holes vin the ratchet-'wheels T Tl for the reception 'of the tongue-bolts G G. V

-V are spring catches ordetents, which play into-the teethof the upper set of ratchetwheels T. F F are spring-detents, fastened at one cndbys'crewsto the under side of plate N, and crossing the center of the lower set of ratchet-wheels T and the tongue-bolts G G,

the ends ot' which detents are turned `up at a rightangle with the body'of the detent, or

-may fbe provided'with afprojecting point near'A their 4respective ends, each' ot' which .points pass through` a hole in plate N, and enter holes or slots in the wheels T', as seen a-t'ffjfV in Fig.'6. In thatvigure the holes f f ff are substitutes for ratchet-teeth. y xed firmly in bottoin'plate M and mortiseiblock' B', and.v projectingfrom'the center of mortise O.

S', in Figaet, is the hole in which the spindle Sis inserted. X is the key-bolt, whichv is supported by andturnsupon the spindle 1S. =The key-bolt termina-tes in a `square tenon,` 0 0, which is so fitted as to easilyenter andrecedefrom themortise O.

4E is acoglwheel," ti'rmly'attached to the key- Y fbolt X, the cogs Y of which play into the l ratchet L in the lock-bolt H. The spindle S andftheikey-bolt X pass -tliroughi'a square hole, mw, forming the inside connection bel, v tween the plates K and N, 'the key-bolt Xbeing soformed as, with the upper surface-ot the cog-.wheel E, to constitute a recess into which the plates KandfN enter, as seen in Fig.'7.' mechanisinof the lock lmay be raised or depressed, as may be required in adjust-ing. the y S is a spindle,

By this device the entire operating: 1.,

bolts G G, by which the latter are turned. The tongue-bolts G G have a rotary motion' only. The key-bolt X has `both a rotary and perpendicular n1otion, and may, withthe frame containing the operating mechanism of i the lock, be raised when it is required to adapt the lock for use, or depressed after thelock shall have been so adapted. By the operating or moving mechanism I mean the keybolt Xvand the two sets of ratchet-wheels T 1" and their detents, embraced in the frame-work of the lock, and composed ot' the plates K and N and their connecting-supports U U.

Any number of tongue-bolts, with their corresponding indicators, sets of combination-iigures, and sets of ratchet-wheels, from-two to six, or even more, maybe employed. i vInthe drawings annexed, iive sets-ot' y,these devices only are employed.

Having described the construction of my improved lock, I now proceed to set. forth `its mode of operation. The lock, `as represented in Fig. 7, is in such a condition ot' adjustment as will permit the lock-bolt EI to `loeturned out or in, as may be required.

In order to put the :lock `in position to be locked, or adjust its mechanism `forthat purpose, I proceed in this way: I insert-the end j of the key J in the slotjf. Ithen turn the key one-quarter of a circle around,.and with.

the end of the key lift up the key-boltX until, the tenon O O is relieved from the mortise O. I then turn the key-bolt sutciently to enable the corners ofthe tenonO 0', which-is square, to rest upon the ,sidesot' the mortise O. By this means the key-bolt, bearing with it the whole moving mechanism ofthe lock, is kept in a position of rest while the lock is being' adjusted for use. By thus elevating. the key-bolt and moving mechanism the tonguebolts G G, which are stationary so far as per,-

-pendicular motion is concerned, are made to pass` through both sets of ratchet-wheels T T', and their ends coming incontact with ,the

detents F F push them out of theslots ffff,

thus relieving the lower set of ratchet-wheels T. In this situation both sets ot' ratchetwheels T and T revolve with ease `upon the ton gue-bolts as their axes, and are now in con dition for adjustment with the combinationiigures on the respective indicators.

i thus holding them `tirmly in fplace. y condition ot the lock the Ilan ges g ofthe tongueA affecting the lower set. :ton gue-bolts with their respective indices from `the combination-figuresr locked upon to some turn No. 3 until its index points to combination-figure 2. I turn No. 4 until its index points to combination-figure 4. I turn No. 5 until its index points tocombination-gnre 8. The lock is now adjusted for the operation of locking. I now make a note of all the combination-figures which I have locked upon, or to which I have made the indices point. I now turn out the lock-bolt H, and then depress the key-bolt X with the moving mechanism attached until the tenon O 0 passes into the mortise 0', and in this position, the tenon and mortise being; square, the key-bolt cannot turn either way. The ends of the tongue-bolts G G now cease to depress the spring-detente F, each ot' which passes into itscorresponding hole or slot j' in 'the lower set of ratchet-wheels, In tlis bolts are removed from the slots g ofthe unthe tongue-bolts may be revolved with the upper set of ratchetwheels T without `in the least Il then turn all the other combination-figure on each indicator, according tomy pleasure. For example,I turn bolt` No. 1 4until the index points to combination-figure 1 2, No. 2 until the index points to ligure 5, No. 3 until the index points to figi ure 9,No. 4 vuntil the indexpoints to figure 8, ,No 5 until the index points to figure 6 5 or I .mayturn ,all the bolts `untilthe indices, respectively, point to lgure l2, or any other g- `ure 4in vthe-series.. In these positions of the tongue-bolts and upper` set of ratchet-wheels itfwill beseeu` that'the anges g are all re- `movedfrom the "slots g `in the lower set of ratchet-wheels. In this situation it is impossible to lift the moving mechanismot` thelock.

vIt remains with the tenori O O ofthe key-bolt away. The lockisnow fast and immovable.

`In order to relieve the lock-bolt H and-uni lock the lock, I proceed-inithismanner: I first look at my memorandum, andlthen turn all the indices around tothe combination-figures `to. which theyfpointed when I-commenced the .operation ot' locking. 'For example, I turn tongue-bolt No. 1 until the index-points to combination-figure 5, No. 2 until the index points toiigure 1, No. 3 until the index `points to iigure 2,No. et until the index points totigure 3, No. 5 untilthe index pointsto tigure 8.

This -bringsthe two sets of ratchet-wheels T and Tlintothe same relation with each other as they `occupied when they were adjusted for locking. The slots g4 ot' the two sets of' wheels are now in exact relation with each other, and

`ready to receive the flanges g of the tonguesaam l n :a

the sides of the mortise, as in the process of locking. This operation has t'orced the tonguebolts and their flanges g into the correspondin g holes and slots g in the lower set of ratchet-Wheels, the ends of the bolts bearing` upon the spring-detents F, and forcing them out of the slots or holes f f f j' in which they rest, thus relieving the lower` set of ratchet-wheels, and enabling them to revolve with the upper set upon their common axes, the tongue-bolts. The lock-bolt H may now be turned back into the lock by means of the key-bolt X and the cog-wheel E. The lock is now ready to be adjusted for another operation.

As before remarked, my lock may be constructed with two or more tongue-bolts and their corresponding sets of ratchet-Wheels. I think, however, that six bolts and sets of Wheels 'Will be sufficient for all practical purposes. With that number the chances of discovering the combination-figures ou which the lock is Y locked would not be one in a million.

Having above described the construction and operation of my improved combinationlock, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment of the tongue-bolts G 'cog-Wheel E, the mortise-block B, the spindle S, thetongue-bolts G G, the sets of ratchet- Wheels T and T', and the lock-bolt II, constructed and operating substantially as above set forth.

MOSES ADAMS..

Witnesses: DANL. A. CLEAVELAND, WM. P. BoDFIsH. 

